In high school, I competed with some success
in Lincoln-Douglas debate. My favorite part was the cross-examination portion,
where you could lead someone along a path, and have them inside the trap before
they ever realized it. In a moment, everything they said came crashing down on
their head. Although most of the debate was still to come, they had already
lost. When Paul stood before Agrippa II and Festus, he could not hope to trap
some opponent by a sleight of hand. He had already appealed to Caesar, so his release
was out of the question. More to the point, Paul’s biggest goal was not to be
released from prison (and certainly not to win an argument) but to see people
trust Jesus as their Savior.
Older kids: Have you ever been arguing with someone, and realized you were wrong?
Is it easier to admit your mistake and end the argument, or to keep fighting and
hope to “win” anyway?
When Paul had traveled from city to city, he
had begun with the synagogue for two reasons. One was theological, the gospel
came first to the Jew and also to the Greek. The second was practical: they knew
the Old Testament, which Paul could build on to show how it was all fulfilled
in Christ. Agrippa was Jewish, and Paul could build on that knowledge while
fulfilling the words of Jesus from Acts 9:15.
Younger kids: What is something you are good at? If you wanted to teach a baby
how to do that, what would they need to learn first? Do you think Paul had to
teach people certain things before they could understand who Jesus is?
Paul shared what Jesus had done for him (for
the third and final time in Acts). But Paul was not content to just share
information; the apostle wanted the king to make a decision. Agrippa had three pieces
of information: the background of the Old Testament, an understanding of Paul’s
conversion, and the knowledge of the incredible life of Jesus, perhaps 25 years
earlier. He just needed to connect the dots. Herod Agrippa’s response reminds
me of his uncle Antipas, who killed John the Baptist because he did not want to
go back on a vow made at a party. Sitting beside Porcius Festus, but also
before a crowd, Herod would neither confirm nor deny that he believed the
prophets. Instead, he told Paul that it would not be so simple to take him all
the way to being a Christian. Paul responded that whether it was easy or
difficult, he wanted everyone to become as much of a slave of Jesus as he was, the
chains around his wrists the only exception.
We exist, whether it is easy or hard, quick or
slow, to bring people to Christ. Our goal is not to win arguments on social
media, impress people with our debating tactics, or even get someone
intellectually to accept what we say. The churches of Jesus are here to reach
people with the precious message of Jesus.
Discussion idea: What are some practical ways we can build on what people in our society
already know to bring them to Jesus?
Prayer focus: Pray for an opportunity to share Jesus with someone, and the grit
to endure, whether it is easy or hard.
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